The present invention relates to a system for serving a pre-mix beverage or making and serving a post-mix carbonated beverage in the zero gravity conditions of outer space including a special drinking cup structure.
It is known that under zero or micro-gravity conditions of outer space, that beverages cannot be forced from a vessel directly into a consumer's mouth. They must be forced out of the vessels under positive pressure or sucked out through a straw directly into the mouth of the astronaut.
Furthermore, the container utilized for dispensing a food or beverage must be of a collapsible volume type in order to preclude the creation of an air space or pocket within the container, the location of which cannot be controlled due to the substantially zero gravity conditions.
Examples of food dispensing containers for use in outer space are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,308 and 3,373,760, both to Frankenberg.
While the food dispensing containers of Frankenberg are suitable for dispensing food and some liquids in outer space, they would not be suitable for dispensing a carbonated beverage in outer space under the micro-gravity conditions that exist.